England boost as in-form star who had to be helped off pitch just days ago passes late fitness test ahead of Greece game
NONI MADUEKE has been passed fit for England duty in a big boost for boss Lee Carsley.
The Chelsea winger gave the national team boss and fans a scare when he had to be helped off the pitch in the dying moments of Sunday’s feisty draw with Nottingham Forest.
Madueke hobbled straight down the tunnel after scoring an equaliser for his club in a pulsating match amid worries he had sustained a foot injury.
But after 24 hours rest the in-form Blues star is ready to play for England in the forthcoming Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland.
Madueke, 22, has been one of Chelsea’s best players this season and has cemented his place in the Premier League squad.
Sunday’s second-half leveller at home to Forest was his fifth goal of the campaign so far.
He scored a hat-trick at Wolves in August as Chelsea won that match 6-2 at the Molineux Stadium.
He has also become one of Carsley’s new generation of senior England players, having been called up for the first time to the main squad during the last international break in September.
Madueke was a regular for Carlsey when he was Under-21 boss and has been promoted alongside his old coach.
He gained an assist in the home match against the Finns when setting up England skipper Harry Kane for his second goal at Wembley.
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England are at home to Greece on Thursday then travel to Finland on Sunday.
Madueke has previously hailed Carsley as a manager as well as his ability to lay out tactics for matches.
He told BBC 5 Live: “First of all, he’s a great person. He’s a really good guy, and he’s very personable.
“He has a lot of human qualities that makes you feel good and at home.
“He’s also a great tactician. He has great ideas, and he’s also able to implement the way he wants to play in your mind and make it easy for you.
“I feel that the top managers all have that, and that’s a quality that he definitely has as well.
“I couldn’t speak more highly of him. He won the Euros with us.
“I feel like he’s a great manager – he knows the pathway, knows the system, knows the FA, he’s been working here for a long time, similar to Gareth (Southgate) in that sense.
“I hope he can do extremely well. I know I’ve got all the belief in him, for sure.”
Madueke will be joined in the squad by his Chelsea team-mates Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill.